MORE MUSINGS FROM THE SOFA!

Well I am here on the sofa again... that favourite place in my home. Revelling in indolence, I am found, with 3 cushions supporting my spine, (2 big and 1 small), one for the neck and another one for the hand, the other side has the armrest. Its a recliner, so all the more comfortable with my stubby legs stretched. I love these cushions and the husband flings them on to the floor if it's on his side of the sofa. He does borrow one at times for his neck though and I grudgingly part with one, rearranging the cushions and muttering under my breath. Now where was I?! Hah on the sofa ensconced in my cocoon.....with the Gulf news in my hand and Illayaraja on the stereo crooning melodies from the 80's and 90's. I think I have ADHD, I drop the paper pick up my phone and start typing!

Music is an integral part of my (our) life! I listen to songs almost most of my waking time. I have the radio on tuned onto a Malayalam station when I am making coffee and breakfast. The husband promptly changes the station to a Hindi one saying the RJs are hilarious ...listen to this! So I tune my brain from Malayalam to Hindi. After sometime the incessant chatter of the RJs ringgg in my ears, I turn on the MP3 player. I have laboriously downloaded Hindi, English, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Arabic, French and Spanish songs! Have segregated them to different folders, old and new to latest to popular to MY favourites. SRK, Dhanush and Kamal Hassan have separate folders. Illayaraja, ARR, Yuvan have their own folders. SPB, Chitra, Yesudas too are segregated.There are fast dance numbers and devotional groups. Some days I have this compelling need to listen to Devotional songs and I get into the transcendental zone!

I pick the folders and play them to my mood and whim. It's like a constant companion. The only job on the laptop I do is downloading songs! Virus attacks are common when I get serious on my job. 
Certain songs plunges me into the memories ....a portal into the past when something (life) happened. Some happy thoughts, some sad, some hilarious, some disturbing, memories of past crushes and so on.... Life is a song! 


We slip away to a memory by some process of association, we remember few fragments or the entire episodes ....I run to change the song when certain songs are played....I cry at certain lyrics especially the songs that take me to the brief period of motherhood. I am trying to get over the sentiments and listen to those songs nowadays. 

Panivizhum malarvanam playing now, Happy romantic thoughts associated with this one. I love to listen to my best half singing this!! I am sure our favourite songs have a back story attached to it.Illayaraja has travelled with me, every part of my life, each special moment! I am sure most of you would agree that he is a part of your life too. Hum a song that comes on top of your head NOW.
The news that triggered my write up is this. The kongthong village in Meghalaya where people call out to each other in music. Custom known as "jingrwai law-bei". Musical names given to each person in addition to their conventional real names. They are a matrilineal society. Old customs, dying slowly as modern world creeps in and people prefer mobile phones instead of singing the melodic names!

Muse over this tidbit ....Let me get back to my newspaper now!